Who We Are
The Washington Coaching Group brings a diverse set of experiences across the corporate, government, non-profit, and higher education sectors spanning the globe. We welcome the opportunity to discuss how coaching could benefit you. Contact us with any questions or to learn how to get started.
Ellen Fulton, MS Ed, MCC
Managing Principal
“The door to leadership opens inward.”
~ Ellen Fulton
Ellen Fulton’s mission is to elevate the conversations leaders are having in the world, build a more robust perspective, and equip organizations to take actions to maximize their strategic goals. She challenges clients to do their own inner work with the understanding that a leader’s success is directly proportional to their self-awareness. Aligning strengths, clarifying values, and building the embodiment of effective communications are key underlining themes that prevail in coaching leaders to visionary results.
As a Master Certified executive leadership coach, she has extensive experience working with leaders in government, corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and universities. Ellen has worked with over 1,000 individuals and teams across all levels of leadership to include C-Suite, SES, VP, mid-level managers, and individual contributors.
As Associate Faculty at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being and Managing Principal of the Washington Coaching Group, Ellen Fulton has stepped up to create and lead a number of outstanding educational opportunities in leadership development and coach education. Having served as Co-Director for the Advanced Coaching Program in Leadership and Well-Being and Director of the Mason Institute for Leadership Excellence, Ellen is thrilled to be serving as the MCC Director of Training for George Mason’s newest professional certificate in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being and launching an additional program for Professional Coaches aiming to become Master Certified Coaches.
Educated as a coach at Georgetown University, and supported by her two degrees in counseling, Ellen received her Master Coaching Certification through the International Coach Federation (ICF). Her work leads her into a variety of industries, including the federal government, corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and universities. One personally fulfilling project she co-created was a coaching program for the participants of an inner city, non-profit organization that provides skilled job preparation and placement services to ex-offenders, welfare recipients, immigrants, and the homeless. In her free time, Ellen is an avid scuba diver with her Master Diver Certification. In the future she would like to combine her passion for diving and coaching to create experiential learning opportunities for leaders to cultivate their awareness through lessons from the deep.
Jennifer Starr, MCC
Executive Coach and Trainer
As a Master Certified Coach, Jennifer coaches motivated individuals, entrepreneurs and executive professionals in achieving inner and outer success through authentic leadership and clarity of purpose. Her passion is to work with those who desire finding deeper meaning and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives, while making an effective impact. She coaches those who are dedicated to evolving their best selves and fostering that in others, and who are already effective at making things happen and achieving results, and yet are acutely aware that there is something more available to them.
An area of particular focus is on clarifying personal vision and mission, executive presence and professional branding. She assists people in bridging the gaps between desired impact and role expectations, the known and the unknown, the visible and the invisible, professional success and the often-elusive personal fulfillment. Jennifer offers a variety of practical and holistic resources and offers a creative and playful approach to her coaching and teaching.
Jennifer was educated as a coach through the Academy for Coach Training (now inviteCHANGE™), and holds a Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential through the International Coach Federation (ICF). She is an ATCP Coach Training Instructor at inviteCHANGE™, and a Certified Coach Mentor (CMC). Supplemental accreditation include Tilt 365®, Core Value Index™, SoulCollage®, Expressive Arts®, Voice Dialogue, PSYCH-K® and other modalities that support holistic living and authentic leadership.
Jennifer has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years, successfully building several businesses, brick and mortar as well as virtual, and enjoys helping other entrepreneurs create healthy, prosperous businesses. She weaves creativity, humor and imagination into all aspects of her work with others to open up new pathways to awareness, clarity and alignment, for the purpose of achieving results that really matter.
She owns Radiant Star Enterprises, a service company dedicated to personal and professional development, and clarity of vision, purpose and legacy. Jennifer lives in Bend, Oregon, just east of the Cascade Mountains, where she enjoys hiking, kayaking, photography and watercolor painting.
Sarah Happel, MCC
Executive Coach
Sarah Happel is a top leadership consultant and executive coach who excels in cultivating leadership excellence. Formerly an international athlete, Sarah’s mission is to maximize the team performance and well-being of 100,000 teams by 2025. She works with global organizations driven to improve their communication, productivity, and corporate culture - one powerful conversation at a time.
Whether working directly with clients, or serving as a George Mason Coach Fellow in the prestigious Leadership Coaching Certification in Organizational Well-Being, Sarah helps people achieve the next level of leadership mastery. Clients include the IMF, IFC, The World Bank, Volkswagen, PwC, Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University, Medtronic, American Council on Education, National Science Foundation, Marriott International and numerous government agencies.
With a Master of Science in Mass Communication, Sarah is known for spearheading thought-provoking leadership programs which spark personal and professional transformation. Sarah is accredited by the International Coach Federation (PCC) and by Georgetown University’s acclaimed Leadership Coaching Program. She is a co-creator of the successful SOAR Leadership Program with best-selling author Chalmers Brothers, which has certified over 200 executive coaches and HR professionals from around the world. She was also a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Helsinki.
Sarah is certified in numerous leadership tools and assessments, helping clients cultivate strengths, build engagement, and alleviate blindspots. These include MBTI, DiSC, The Leadership Circle Profile (LCP), the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI), Team Coaching, and Appreciative Inquiry. She has also completed George Mason’s Advanced Coaching Program in Organizational Well-Being. After living overseas and working with leaders throughout Europe and South America for 12 years, Sarah leads the Spectrum Leadership Solutions team from the greater Washington, DC area.
Larisa Harrington, PCC
Executive Coach
Larisa Harrington’s mission is to empower leaders to reach their personal and professional goals, while living happier and healthier lives. Larisa, a 20-year Air Force veteran, spent her military career working in multiple roles supporting the intelligence community. She has a deep understanding of how high-stress environments affect the productivity, effectiveness, health and well-being of leaders. For over 2 decades, Larisa has been dedicated to helping clients maximize potential, and enhance their efficiency, performance and well-being.
As a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Larisa offers both coaching and consulting to leaders who desire positive change in their lives or organizations. Larisa has experience working with multiple levels of leadership in government, military, non-profits, and small businesses. Through one-on-one and group coaching, Larisa coaches those who guide, lead or inspire others in any capacity. She compassionately challenges clients to cultivate awareness to recognize their own wisdom, strengths and gifts, leading to improved performance and productivity in alignment with their values and goals.
Also a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) through the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Larisa utilizes her extensive education and experience to support the holistic well-being of her clients. She believes that well-being encompasses mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual components. Larisa is passionate about helping clients be their best selves, allowing them to thrive at home, at work, and in life.
Larisa completed George Mason’s Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-being program and trained/certified in numerous other programs, including: Polarity Partnerships, Holistic Stress Management, Advanced Training in Mind-Body Medicine, and Strategic Planning and Thinking. With an immense interest and passion for supporting those experiencing crisis, trauma and stress, Larisa has also taken various trainings through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation to include: Psychological Survival Skills: Before, During & After Crises, Strategic Response to Crisis, and Group and Individual Crisis Intervention.
Eric Woodard, EdD, PCC
High Performance Coach
Eric believes the opportunity to break through limiting beliefs toward higher levels of aliveness, impact, and connection is available to everyone and it’s available to you. Across a full spectrum of disciplines, he has helped individuals, teams, and organizations knock down these sorts of barriers to elevate performance at all levels of government, business, non-profits, higher education, cultural organizations, international civil society, and more.
He has helped thousands reach higher levels in work and life around Presidents and Princes, Senators and Scientists, Deans and Diplomats, CEOs and Consultants, Entrepreneurs and Explorers. For over 25 years Eric served at the White House, on Capitol Hill, in the U.S. State Department, and at the Smithsonian Institution. He has travelled or worked in over 70 countries, completed 9 marathons, logged 1500+ hours underwater, and is the author of 4 books including Your Last Day of School and The Ultimate Guide to Internships.
Eric has deep expertise and experience coaching individuals and groups on a range of topics including resilience, productivity, inclusion, balance, trust, communication, focus, clarity, energy, courage, influence, caregiving, intuition, career growth, spirituality, presence, physiology, relationships, stress, belief, vulnerability, confidence, purpose, integrity, and power.
At both the individual and organizational level, Eric’s trauma-informed coaching is buoyed by fluency in all major theories of culture, change, learning, and leadership. Driven by positivity, authenticity, humor, and storytelling, Eric’s coaching leverages the power of context, emotions, values, and the unconscious mind. His coaching also relies on distinctions of agreement vs expectation, you vs them, style vs substance, depth vs breadth, serving vs pleasing, owner vs victim, empathy vs assertion, showing vs telling, commitment vs intention, professional vs social, and responsibility vs control.
Eric holds a diploma from the International School of Bangkok, a B.A. in Biology from the University of Missouri, an M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University, and an Ed.D. in Human and Organizational Learning from George Washington University where he researched the nature of internships that develop soft skills.
He is recognized as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). He also holds certifications as both a Distinguished Fellow Coach and a Group Coach by BetterUp, and as an Executive Leadership Coach for Organizational Performance (LCOP) by American University. Eric is also recognized as an active IDC Staff Scuba Instructor by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
Eric is the founder of Win At Work, an enterprise commissioned to help people realize more of their full potential in work and life. He lives in Alexandria, VA with his amazing wife Keri and their 4 fantastic kids.